Six Antioqueño communities in the area of influence of EPM’s Ituango Hydroelectric project stand to benefit from commitments made by EPM’s CEO Juan Esteban Calle Restrepo, and Medellin’s mayor Anibal Gaviria Correa. The two principals laid out those commitments at a meeting held last Thursday in the Liborina Coliseum along with Antioquia Governor Sergio Fajardo Valderrama, IDEA Manager Alejandro Granada Zapata, and the mayors of the communities of Liborina, Peque, Buriticá, Olaya, Santa Fe de Antioquia, and Sabanalarga.

Health, roads, housing, education, employment, public services, improved institutionalization, and recreation are the areas that have been promised shares of the $1.8 billion ($600 million USD approx.) investment associated with building the Ituango dam and power generation facility.

Sabanalarga, Santa Fé de Antioquia, Olaya, Buriticá, Peque, and Liborina are the towns that are within the project’s investment zone.

A public accounting was held last Thursday outlining the project’s progress, and outlining the benefits promised to the affected communities.

CEO of EPM Juan Esteban Calle Restrepo said at the event: “The Ituango Hydroelectric Project has become an example of the integration of a public work with the territory and its people; a beacon of hope that generates more and newer opportunities for everyone. This is a historic occasion for the region’s wellbeing and development.

The Ituango Hydroelectric Project “Rendicion de Cuentas” took place in the Liborina Coliseum

Public Services – 1,880 families now have natural gas in Liborina, Olaya, and the Sucre Township, Sabanalarga, and those living along the route towards Sabanalarga. In Santa Fe de Antioquia, now there are 2.830 families that have EPM natural gas, through 11 commercial outlets.

Rural Electrification – EPM, through the Antioquia Illuminated program has connected 4,797 families in rural Antioquia to electrical services.

Water and Sewage Services – Improvements have been made in the water and sewage systems servicing all six municipalities.

Housing – 435 families have benefitted from housing improvements, or new homes. Of these, 100 have involved the Aldeas de EPM program, which repurposes the mature woods harvested from the reservoir areas.

Employment – The Ituango Hydroelectric Project has generated 7,000 direct jobs, of which 2,200 are in the six affected municipalities, and 20,000 indirect jobs. 329 of these jobs are held by residents of western Antioquia that work directly for the project. Another 373 jobs have been created by the additional investment in social infrastructure.

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Loren Moss is the founder and publisher of Finance Colombia. He has over 20 years of international business experience, including over a decade of experience in securities, insurance, and commercial real estate, at the institutional and international level.